Woman who spent £193,000 (N377m) on tattoos now wants them lasered off

It’s been ten years since 30-year-old Amber Luke last saw her face without tattoos. The Brisbane native, known online as “Australia’s most tattooed woman,” has spent about £193,500 covering 98 percent of her body with ink since she began getting tattooed at age 16. But now, she’s decided to remove 36 tattoos from her face by 2027, a process she says comes from a place of self-acceptance rather than regret.

“I was 20 when I wanted to hide my face,” Amber said. “I truly didn’t see my natural beauty. I was a broken, lost soul.” She explained that her decade-long journey of tattooing her face has coincided with personal growth. “Over that period, I have not only grown as a person but adapted to my new ways of life. I have started to truly love myself and appreciate the way I look. And while saying this, I will never regret my face tattoo process. Everything I have endured and have done to myself has been for a damn good reason and the right timing in life, I truly believe that. But it’s been 10 years since I’ve seen my face. I am excited to reunite with her again.”

Amber’s tattoo removal is being done for free by Xanadu Laser Therapies in Springwood, Brisbane, where she serves as an ambassador. She says she’s “beyond grateful” for the sponsorship, especially since laser removal can be costly, ranging from £30 to over £200 per session.

The procedure, however, is far from easy. “I don’t use numbing cream for any of my removals or tattoos in general; therefore the feeling is as intense as it can possibly be,” Amber said. “The laser zap on the thin skin of the face burns and it also stings mercilessly. Your face is distorted and swollen for up to four days after.”

Amber also revealed that her eight facial dermal piercings have complicated the process. “I will have to get these cut out of my face surgically before removing the remaining face tattoos at the end of the journey,” she explained. The metal from the piercings can heat up during the laser process, burn the skin, and interfere with the tattoo removal.

Despite her decision to remove her facial ink, Amber insists she doesn’t regret her tattoos and isn’t doing this because of public judgment. “I feel like society has a veil over its eyes, and it’s a judgement veil,” she said on TikTok. “Honestly, people judge what they don’t understand. If they take one look at me, it’s usually a look of disgust. When you walk down the street the stares are ridiculous but you can’t take it as a negative. The scrutiny that women face with face tattoos in today’s society is ridiculous. But removing all 36 face tattoos isn’t due to scrutiny, I’ve outgrown those tattoos.”

While Amber plans to “reunite” with her natural face, she isn’t stepping away from body art entirely. She’s still adding new tattoos to other parts of her body, including her left hand, which is currently healing from blackout work.

“As I’ve got older, I’ve got more resilient and I feel like I can see my beauty finally, that’s self-evolution,” she said. “I’m finally learning to love who I am.”

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